The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-16
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL.

Men desiring TO be agreeable remove the odor
of tobacco. which remains after smoking by a
solution of thymoi, used mouth wash.
White pepper frequently has undergone a
process of bleaching BY chlorine, which improves
It's color but deteriorates the quality.
The amount of force exerted by heat and cold
in expansion and contraction of metal Is equal
to that which would be required to stretch or
compress it to the same extent by mechanical
means.
By the means of an air-gun Prof. G. L. Noes
has found that to drive straws into pine boards
and hickory bark, often done by Tomatoes,
velocity OF 120 to It's miles hour is neces-
sary.
1t is found that a good impression of any
article of metal having a fat, ornamental sur
face may be taken by wettlng some note paper
with the tongue and smoking it gas
flame The article is then pressed upon the
smoked part. when, If the operation be care
fully conducted, a clear impression is the re-
suit.
Happening to want place to strike parlor
match to light gas stove, says writer in the
Chicago Journal of Commerce. l struck the
match upon the stove over the gas. The gas
ignited, but the match did not. l laid the match
aside, and as the gas burner wanted used
the same match until have lighted it twenty
three times. and the match is apparently as
good as ever. Cannot some one invent an inn
proved lighter from this suggestion2
Gesoline is the name OF new material re-
sembllng silk. A writer IN the Journal Com
mercial ct Maritime says of it that two students
of Italy have invented an apparatus. the object
of which is to substitute mulberry fibre for cot
ton. and have given il the above name. On
moving the bark from the young shoots of null
berry trees, fibre is found which in fneness
and tenacitv is not exceeded by silk, and che
object of the invention is to treat the bark and
isolate the fibre by mechanical process. The
English houses said to have already made
offers to purchase the entire production emanat-
ing from this novel process.
The American Machinist SAYS that fine color
may be given to small pieces of iron by bringing
- IN rad has Nlan1 fra hans r1v1k1 Ia
prussiate of potash over them and cool in water
The case-hardening, however, will not be of
much depth. If there should be a number of
articles to harden. it would be better to make
cast-iron pot or box, with cover which could
be made tight by using fre-clay. Put the
articles in this box together with crushed bone,
burnt leather scraps and charcoal in equal
quantities. Heat the whole to red heat and
keep hot from one to five hours, according to
size of articles and depth of hardening desired;
then remove the cover and dump the articles
into the water with the least possible exposure
to the air. This will harden to considerable
depth.
The wonderful invention Of writing by electric
ity at a distance of nifty miles is thus described
by the Pail Mall Gazette: "Out of the top of
box, which is about the size of ordinary dis
patch box, protrudes what has the appearance of
a stylographic pen. This. however, is not pen,
but the handle of the 'transmitter," and its low
er end is fixed to light brass perpendicular bar.
Any motion given by the hand-you hold it just
like pen-to the handle of the transmitter is
comm unicated by this bar two series of car
bon disks contained within the box. and, after
various adventures among magnets. ETC., is
carried again to the top of the box, where il is
reproduced exactly by a small ink holding pen,
whose point rests white paper tape A
clock-work apparatus pulls this tape along at
gentle pace, and after little practice You find
tn at 1t is quite easy move the handle of the
transmitter that the pen shall write legibly
the moving tape. Now, whatever is written
on the tape before you is written simultaneously
mile off, or it may be fifty miles of, on a sim
liar tape by similar instrument the other
end OF the wire. The Instrument is very
pact, and apparently efficient The inventor
is Mr. John Robertson, an American.